Russia to help stockpile US strategic fuel-and-energy reserves

Russia is ready to help stockpile US strategic fuel-and-energy reserves, if the US side eventually makes such a proposal. This was disclosed to RIA Novosti by the Russian delegation's experts, who will take part in the forthcoming Russian-US summit. This has something to do with a reply to possible US concerns as regards the stability and predictability of global fuel-and-energy markets and fuel-and-energy deliveries, they stressed. Russia, which is a bulwark of fuel-and-energy stability for many European countries' fuel-and-energy balances, is ready to cooperate with the United States in this direction, RIA Novosti's interlocutors noted. In their words, this position will be formalized by a joint statement dealing with the incipient bilateral fuel-and-energy dialogue. This statement will be signed in the wake of top-level Russian-US talks. According to RIA Novosti's sources, the joint statement, which doesn't stipulate any particular commercial projects, charts various cooperation spheres that will be encouraged by the Governments of our two countries. Consequently, both sides will discuss incentives enabling our companies to enhance their interaction during fuel-and-energy prospecting operations, production and transportation, as well as during the implementation of joint projects, including those in third countries, the sources explained. The Russian side is ready to enable US companies to develop Russian oil-and-gas deposits, Siberian and Far Eastern deposits included, on a greater scale and in line with market-economy terms, RIA Novosti's interlocutors pointed out. The list of other bilateral-cooperation issues, due to be examined during the summit, includes issues pertaining to Russia's admission into the World Trade Organization, interaction in the law-enforcement field and in the aircraft-industry sphere, joint space exploration, as well as visa problems and those connected with the US decision to charge sky-high import duties on foreign steel.